JGIG columns
Live house questions, answered
The questions people ask before a live house night in Japan, answered from official sources and the shows listed on JGIG. For the short how-to steps, see the culture guide.
Money: tickets, drink fees and totals
How much is the drink fee at Japanese live houses?
At most small live houses in Tokyo and Osaka you pay a drink fee at the door on top of your ticket. What it covers, how to pay and what to order.
How much does it cost to see a gig in Tokyo?
A night at a small Tokyo live house costs a ticket plus a drink fee paid at the door. See typical totals from JGIG's listings and what else to budget for.
Which night of the week is cheapest for live music in Japan?
Is live music cheaper on some nights in Japan? What JGIG's Tokyo and Osaka listings show about the typical total price on each night, and how to use it.
Advance vs door tickets in Japan: how much more at the door?
Advance (前売) or door (当日) ticket? How to find the price gap for your show, why JGIG's total uses the advance price, and what to bring to the door.
Do you need cash at Japanese live houses?
Yes, bring yen. What you pay in cash at a small Japanese live house, when cards or IC cards may work, and how to prepare if you are carrying little cash.
Band merch at small gigs in Japan: payment and etiquette
Merch (goods) at small Japanese live houses: what is sold, when tables open, how to pay, what to say to the band, and how to budget beyond the JGIG total.
Tickets: buying, door sales and sold-out shows
How to buy live house tickets in Japan
Three ways into a small Japanese gig: advance tickets, door tickets and torioki reservations, and how to check which one works for your show.
What does the ticket number (整理番号) mean at Japanese gigs?
The number on a Japanese live house ticket (整理番号) sets your place in the entry order, not your seat. How numbers are called at doors, and what to do.
Can you buy tickets at the door (当日券) in Japan?
Many small Japanese live houses sell door tickets (当日券) if there is space. How to tell if your show does, when to arrive, and what to do if it doesn't.
What is torioki and how do you reserve a ticket with a band?
Torioki (取り置き) is a reservation you send to the organizer by email or DM, then pay in cash at the door. What to write, what to check and what to bring.
Which Japanese ticket sites work without a Japanese number?
LivePocket, TIGET, ZAIKO, e+, Ticket PIA, Lawson Ticket and Rakuten Ticket: what each official page says about phone numbers, foreign cards and e-tickets.
The show is sold out. What can you still do?
Your live house show in Japan says 完売 (sold out). What a door ticket depends on, where to check on the day, and how to line up a backup show on JGIG.
How to read a Japanese gig flyer: OPEN, START, 前売, 当日, 1D
OPEN, START, 前売, 当日 and 1D explained: what each term on a Japanese gig flyer means, and where to find the same details on a JGIG show page in English.
At the venue: what happens on the night
Going to a concert alone in Tokyo
Solo at a Japanese live house? It's common. What to do before you go, at the door, inside and on the way home, even without Japanese.
Doors or start: what time should you arrive at a live house?
Doors (OPEN) or start (START)? The gap between the two at Japanese live houses, from JGIG's listings, and when to arrive for your type of ticket.
How a live house night works: taiban, set times, end times
A Japanese live house night can be a multi-band bill (taiban). What the start time tells you, where to find set times and the end, and how to plan trains.
Lockers, bags and re-entry at Japanese live houses
Some Japanese live houses have coin lockers and some have none. Re-entry may be allowed, cost another drink fee, or not be allowed. How to plan your bag.
Earplugs and standing: what to expect at small gigs in Japan
Small Japanese live houses are standing rooms, and some shows are loud. Earplugs, how long you may stand, what to wear and eat, and how to take a break.
Moshing and diving at Japanese punk and hardcore shows
Moshing and diving at punk and hardcore shows in Japan: when they happen, why the rules change by event, where to stand, and what to check before you go.
Can you smoke at Japanese live houses?
Smoking rules at Japanese live houses differ by venue and show. What official pages say, the Japanese words on signs, and what to do if you smoke or not.
Basements, stairs and phone signal at Japanese live houses
Many Japanese live houses are underground, with weak signal and stairs. What to save before you go down, how to find the entrance, and step-free facts.
Live houses compared: lockers, re-entry, smoking and stairs
Tokyo and Osaka live houses side by side: what official venue pages say about coin lockers, re-entry, smoking and stairs, with the date each was checked.
Planning: nights, holidays and getting home
How to find indie gigs in Japan before your trip
Find small live house gigs in Tokyo and Osaka before you fly: search your dates in English, check the official page, and keep a backup for each night.
Which nights have the most live music in Tokyo and Osaka?
Some nights have more live house shows than others. What JGIG's Tokyo and Osaka listings show night by night, and how to use it to plan your trip.
Live music on Japanese holidays: Golden Week, Obon, New Year
Are there gigs over Golden Week, Obon and New Year in Tokyo and Osaka? What official venue pages showed in 2026, what they can't tell you, and how to plan.
New Year's Eve countdown gigs in Tokyo and Osaka (2026–27)
Countdown and all-night gigs on 31 December in Tokyo and Osaka: last year's formats, what to check on the event page, and how to get home that night.
Christmas week gigs in Tokyo and Osaka (2026)
Live house shows from 20 to 25 December 2026 in Tokyo and Osaka: what is already posted, words to spot on flyers, and the night-by-night list on JGIG.
Last trains after a gig in Tokyo: how late do shows end?
Last trains from Shimokitazawa, Shinjuku and Shibuya after a gig, from official timetables checked 15 Oct 2026, and how to plan home from the end time.
Daytime gigs in Tokyo: shows you can see before dinner
Some live house shows start in the afternoon. How many start before 5 pm in JGIG's Tokyo and Osaka listings, how to spot them, and what to check first.
How to discover Japanese bands before your trip
Find Japanese bands to see on your trip: start from venues whose music you like, read the acts on JGIG show pages, look them up and try a multi-band night.
Areas: where the live houses are
Shimokitazawa live houses: a walking guide
Which exit to use for each Shimokitazawa live house JGIG lists, how long the walk is, the size of each room, and how to plan a night of live music there.
Live music in Osaka for travelers
Small live houses in Osaka listed on JGIG: Shinsaibashi, Minami-Horie and Fukushima, with stations, room sizes, typical totals and how to pick a show.
Shinjuku live houses for travelers
Shinjuku ANTIKNOCK and Shinjuku MARZ: which exit to use, what music each venue page lists, start times in JGIG's data, and other Shinjuku venues to know.
Small live music venues in Shibuya
Shibuya WWW is the Shibuya live house JGIG lists. How to walk there from Hachiko Exit, what to check before a show, and small venues one train line away.
Koenji live music: small live houses and how to visit them
Three small live houses in the Koenji area, from their official sites: stations, sizes, floors and drink fees, what isn't stated, and how to plan a night.
Shinsaibashi and Horie: Osaka's live house district
Live houses around Shinsaibashi, Amerikamura and Horie in Osaka: routes from each station, room facts from JGIG and official pages, and last trains home.
Beyond Shimokitazawa: Shindaita and nearby live houses
LIVE HOUSE FEVER in Shindaita: three stations to reach it from, what its JGIG venue page says, how to pair it with Shimokitazawa, and how to get home.
Tokyo vs Osaka live music: prices, times and show counts
Tokyo and Osaka side by side in JGIG's listings: shows, venues, median ticket-plus-drink totals and early starts, and what the figures can't tell you.
Venues JGIG does not list yet
CLUB Que in Shimokitazawa: drink fee, floor and access
CLUB Que, Shimokitazawa: address, floor, drink fee and barrier-free facts from the official site (checked 15 Oct 2026), and what its pages don't say yet.
DaisyBar, Shimokitazawa: re-entry, cloak and no smoking
DaisyBar in Shimokitazawa: drink fee, re-entry, cloak and smoking rules from its official information page (checked 15 Oct 2026), and the walk there.
440 (four forty), Shimokitazawa: exits, drink fee and floor
440 (four forty), a live bar in Shimokitazawa: station exits, what +1D means on its schedule, and why to check its floor. From the official site, 15 Oct.
Loft X Koenji (Shin-Koenji): access and what to check
Loft X Koenji near Shin-Koenji Station: address, floor and capacity from the official page (checked 15 Oct 2026), and what to check on the event page.
Nine Spices, Kabukicho: size, drink fee and event notes
Nine Spices in Shinjuku's Kabukicho: size, floor and drink fee from its official site (checked 15 Oct 2026), and which facts come from a single event page.
Niman Denatsu, Higashi-Koenji: exit, size and drink fee
Higashi-Koenji Niman Denatsu: station exit, size, floor and drink fee from its official site (checked 15 Oct 2026), and what its pages leave unsaid.
Kitahorie club vijon, Osaka: lockers, re-entry and smoking
club vijon in Kitahorie, Osaka: lockers, cloak, re-entry, smoking, stairs and drink fee from its official FAQ (checked 15 Oct 2026), and the walk there.
Data and culture
What is a live house? Japan's small music venues explained
A live house is a small Japanese music venue: a standing room, a stage, a bar and a drink fee at the door. What to expect inside, and how to go to a show.
Which live houses in Tokyo and Osaka cost the least?
JGIG ranks its listed live houses in Tokyo and Osaka by the median ticket-plus-drink total. How to read each venue's figure, and why one show can differ.
Tokyo and Osaka live house price report (monthly)
What a night at a small Tokyo or Osaka live house costs, from JGIG's listings: the median total, middle range, usual drink fee and how to read them.
Underground idol shows in Japan: cheki, rules and how to go
Going to an idol show at a small Japanese live house: where they happen, why photo and crowd rules differ by group and event, and what to check first.
Visual kei shows: etiquette for first-timers
First visual kei show at a Japanese live house? The basics for your first night, what to read on the event post, and how to dress, watch and take photos.
Columns are drafted with AI and checked by a person against official sources. How we make JGIG